Buccaneering Armies

Comrade Robot · Powder Monkey Posts: 25 **1071 Gold** -

All you raiders out there I have a question for ye. What is the largest force ye've ever assembled when assaulting cities? One can't blunder into Port Royale expecting those 400 dogs of King James to sit on their miserable haunches while your crew of 20 burns the filthy city to the ground. For me the largest has to be almost 600. A full Royal Sloop, a full large frigate, a mail runner and also two war canoes. That was sure fun. Got to instill fear into those noble swine and take their wealth for a high purpose, funding my operation of death! Surprised

Rifleman · Swabbie Posts: 77 **398 Gold** -

I don't think I've used more than a large frigate full (300). I just send in the Indians and the pirate raiders first....
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"I am hurt, but I am not slain;
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- Sir Andrew Barton

Turk · Powder Monkey Posts: 21 **159 Gold** -

I attacked Monty with around 700.. give or take...

I had a Full BoW, a full Frig, and a partially crewed Frig. BoW had triple hammocks. Fun times slaughtering the Indian army and not losing a single man. I love defensive maps with lots of Buccaneers!
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Turk the Smuggler

TheDon · Rigger Posts: 1289 **16718 Gold** -

I've been trying to see how small a crew I can assault cities with. I have successfully attacked cities when my crew was about 1/2 what the defenders rallied. It takes some decidedly different tactics than just rushing headlong into enemy fire. You won't last long that way when they outnumber you 2 to 1.
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TheDon
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. - Napoleon Bonaparte

Cap'n Sawyer · Powder Monkey Posts: 45 **871 Gold** -

Cycling through your three starting position choices is critical for me. I'll happily assaulta city so long as I have 80% of the opposing force. Ranged attacks can't go through more than one forest square, so if I sneak in and out of foliage, I can get within two spaces of most ranged units, using my Bucs to soften them up before I charge. I've taken out every opposing unit and not lost a single one of mine, on a few occassions.
Just remember, it's not about destroying the entire opposing army, it's about getting one unit to the gates. I usually create a wedge for my Officers when assaulting Monty, then leave it to the fencing. It makes fighting those Indians a lot easier.

Looger · Powder Monkey Posts: 28 **363 Gold** -

But Cap'n Sawyer, don't you earn more gold the more units you kill?

Largest I've had is 300. I once attacked a town with over six hundred... Oops

Didn't go very well.

MagicJuggler · Powder Monkey Posts: 20 **327 Gold** -

I've gotten 600 for assaulting Havana (which had about 850). Naturally, I still won due to the AI's inability to use basic tactics. Enemy cavalry was a joke due to the presence of jungles and rocky bluffs (the bluffs are a great way to protect your Buccaneers) and between gunning down and flanking units, I was able to rout the enemy in no time.

Airsaw · Rigger Posts: 1806 **3281 Gold** -

Yeah, I've managed to top Monty with 86 men. I've only had the gumption to attack cities with a two-thirds margin, however. It depends a lot on the map you get...is there a shot at making it to the gate? Sometimes, there just ain't. ALSO, does the enemy have cavalry? TWO MOUNTED UNITS??? Ugh!
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MagicJuggler · Powder Monkey Posts: 20 **327 Gold** -

Cavalry is very easy to deal with, so long as you don't walk into their attack radius. Either shoot them, or lure them into Jungle, and you're set.

Jack to the Sparrow · Powder Monkey Posts: 11 **102 Gold** -

i recently attacked monties lair with 187 and it seemed to me like i was outnumbered 2 to 1. Anyways i have a real problem with the land battle AI the problem is that it's STUPID! like not as in i hate it but it makes the dumbest moves. Like for example when i battled montie i jus lined up my bucaneers with pirates in front and braced myself for the indian horde. In the end i didnt lose a signle unit as i ran towards the gates slipping and sliding in indian blood Twisted Evil

Stryker1sf · Powder Monkey Posts: 48 **709 Gold** -

Under realistic circumstances I probably would want at least parity with the opposing force to guarantee victory, seeing that I am the master tactician Cool

However, in this game, the AI is so clueless that I've gone in once against Havana with 200 against 500 and won. Stick and move, use your buccaneers wherever possible to thin out the ranks and you've got it. The AI just charges into the ambush with no sense of tactics.

Lill-Troll · Seaman Posts: 173 **3042 Gold** -

Well, to be honest, that kind awas the way of Combat back in those days... And the Soldiers wouldn't even bother to run, just slowely march towards the enemy, giving them ample opportunity to aim their Cannans and fire away with muskets. Then again, both sides wold just stand opposite eachother and fire until one side ran away...

Give me a 20 guys with Machineguns, unlimited Ammo and a Timemachine, and I could take over the whole darn world in those days...
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Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2484 **33917 Gold** -

2 against 3 is the ratio I usually go for as well. It is well enough to take care of most town defenders.

My tactics usually rely on the fact that the enemy will come to me, so I don't have to go to them. I just select a position which I know that the enemy will take good time to reach, so that their units come in one or two at a time instead of them all getting to me at the same time. They are easy to take out when their army is spread all over the map and as they approach your buccaneers in ones and twos without any sense of tactics.

Oh, since the question was about the largest army, I think mine has been around 400 or so and I take cities with 600 defenders pretty easily with that, so there's no need for any larger one.
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It is much better to be armed with a sword that has two edges than with an estoc [...], which is nothing more than a stick with a point. (Rapier Master G. Morsicato Pallavicini, La Scherma Illustrata, p. 14.)

Black Jack Davy · Powder Monkey Posts: 7 **86 Gold** -

Stryker1sf · Powder Monkey Posts: 48 **709 Gold** -

With Monti's army (at least in my experience) sometimes it just depends on the terrain and the deployment. Since his army is all natives the forest is more their friend than yours. However, they lack long-range firepower (just the archers) so if there's some open ground or you can arrange a "killing zone" where they have to come in and you buccaneers can pick them apart safely, it's a lot easier. I'm gonna guess the first time you had a good deployment, but the second time the map was less favorable for your setup. Just a guess though.